Guardians of Muraycia - Chapter 7

Chapter 7



That evening in the sanctity of the cabin, she told her friends about the event and the letters etched on the back. Corriett soon discovered that they had all been in the cabin and not one of them carried lavender arrows. Anna, being a boisterous girl, promptly jumped to her feet and said loudly,

“Well we have to go and get it.”

“Err… Anna” Genie started cautiously,

“What.”

“You don’t mean right now. Do you?”

“Of course right now!” screamed Anna as though this were obvious.

“This sort of thing takes planning,” said Corriett.

“So we will do it tomorrow night!” yelled a voice. Corriett looked up, startled to see who had spoken. To her amazement it was Sinbad.

“Go to sleep!” he yelled and stormed over to his own bed.

“He is right.” agreed Periwinkle tenderly. “We could all use a good night’s sleep.” Her friends all nodded in agreement.



The next morning they began to plan. Using a map of the castle they found in the Cyn Yan book. Little by little their plan unfolded until they were sure it could not fail.



That evening when the tall clock struck six the guardians headed out the tall double doorway of the palace. They joined hands and stood in circle around Corriett, who chanted strange words. She lit a candle and at once they disappeared. All of a sudden they were swirling through dimensions the space around them expanding and contracting as they traveled, suddenly landing on harsh unforgiving ground. Massaging their sore aching backs, they darted into the bushes and not a moment to soon for it was at that exact instant that the gardener came around the corner. The gardener just happened to be a vampire.

“Somnus” breathed Corriett in a whisper barely audible. At once the gardener hit the ground, fast a sleep.

“Let’s go” mouthed Anna and she silently led the way around the perimeter of the castle. The group was almost to the black Iron Gate when they heard voices.

“What did you do with Henna?”

“Nothing I told you!”

“Stop lying to me Mortread!”

“Spiders are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves!”

“No they aren’t!” screamed Midnight.

“They can when their six feet tall!”

“Henna is only five foot two she is still a baby.” Midnight said as she scolded her brother. Their arguing voices drifted away as they walk of into the distance. Anna jerked her head towards the castle and

“Come on” growled Anna. Corriett continued forward, however, Corriett made no move to follow. shook her head and beckoned, at this Anna threw her head toward the red swirling sky in frustration, but she came.

“I’m beginning to see a flaw in our plan,” Corriett whispered.

“What” said Anna impatiently?

“Our plan involves us heading through the main gate.”

“So…” Anna hissed.

“So, we can’t just use the front entrance, what are we house guests?” Anna snarled but did not argue.

“We’ll go about the back entrance.” she grumbled so they stealthily made their way to the back door. Upon entering the dungeon they found mud caked floors and walls covered in brown moss. Corriett guessed the janitor did not come down here very much. A rat scampered by in the dim light. Its rough untrimmed claws scraped the cement.

“Luminarium” She whispered and a brilliant light stretched across the vast dungeon. It spread an iridescent glow over the six guardians. Corriett grabbed it and molded it down so that it was just a pin prick in the dark. She held it high and let it lead them out of the corridors where little light showed its face.

At last they came upon a large room full of trophies and furnishings.

“Sister, please I don’t understand.” cried Persephone.

“You do not have to understand.” said an icy voice that made Corriett’s bones chill and her blood freeze. “You have to obey. I wish to keep the book two more nights then you may dispose of it.”

“But what if they come for it tonight?” pleaded Persephone.

“Another chance to kill.” said Vaulda cruelly. Persephone nodded and Vaulda strode out of the room. Suddenly the hostile atmosphere became softer.

Persephone shook her head and muttered, “I hope she is right.” and with that she reached for the book, tucked it under her arm, and walked out of the room. Anna gritted her teeth and once again motioned for the team to follow. They silently lurked around her mirroring her every move. At last they reached her bedchamber. Persephone flung herself down on the bed with the book right by her side. She closed her eyes and the guardians waited. By a stroke of luck there was a black metallic wine glass sitting on innocently on the nightstand. When they were sure she was asleep Corriett pulled a small vile from her pocket. She inched along on her stomach riding on the floor. She snatched up Persephone’s goblet and dove under the bed spilling the contents of the tiny vile of powder into the deep red wine. Slowly she placed it on the table and began to creep away when a hand grasped her firmly along her upper arm.

“Going somewhere sweets?” ask a stony voice. Corriett yelped as she lost feeling in her arm. The rest of the team rushed in to help, but there was no need,

“Ouch” said Persephone in a hollow voice as she released Corriett in order to pluck a lavender arrow for her shoulder. Corriett looked wildly around but there was no sign of the owner of the lavender arrow.

“Come on!” Anna yelled and Corriett did not need to be told twice she ran for her life. Genie had the book under one arm. They flew out the double doors of the castle. Corriett panted words as they ran, and all at once they were back in the cabin.

“We got it!” they shouted in unison. Then they flopped exhausted onto the bed. Corrietts head hit the pillow with a sound thump and she was already sleeping.



Morning was kind and birds chirped happily singing a merry tune, but Corriett knew something was terribly wrong. And at breakfast her questions were laid to rest.

“Pass the molasses,” Genie asked looking thoughtfully at the stain glass windows. Anna shoved the swan pitcher toward Periwinkle with more force than necessary. She caught it just before it spilled in her lap. Anna looked rather disappointed. Corriett drizzled a thin layer of sweet brown syrup across her French toast. All at once a violent shake rumbled over the palace shattering lanterns and causing Corriett to drop the ornate pitcher. It fell on the tile and shattered into lost fragments of gleaming crystal shards.

“What’s going on?” roared Anna over the booming tremor. Her question was answered in a fraction of a second, when the front wall of the castle went flying. One by one doors opened, and with a bang. Pieces fell form the ceiling. Screaming, the guardians threw their arms over their heads in a futile effort to protect themselves. The door erupted off its hinges and there was Vaulda. She wore a billowing cloak blacker than death. Her face was stony and an unearthly shade of white. She wore lips as red as the blood she had spilled. Her long black hair tightly braided that ran down her back was whipping wildly in wind she caused. In one fluent simultaneous motion they rushed to the door but then all at once Vaulda was in front of them. No! She was behind them. No! She was every where they looked. Every corner they turned she was standing there laughing.

“Voldo admoveo alious locus” Corriett chanted. Flying through time and space once more they soared. Thrashing they were tossed about in the rough winds. Finally after a vile bone cracking ride they landed.

“The book!” yelled Corriett, jumping to her feet.

“I got it” moaned Genie. Corriett breathed a sigh of relief. Soon her thoughts were interrupted by Periwinkle’s Voice.

“It’s night,” she squealed suddenly.

“In the name of Muraycia!” yelled Anna “Where are we Corriett?”

“Well,” Corriett scratched her head. She did not in fact know the answer to that.

“It smells funny,” complained Genie heartily, while Mimi rubbed her aching back.

“This isn’t Muraycia,” said Corriett very suddenly. One by one the guardians processed what she had said and one by one they realized she was right.

“We must find a place to hide until daybreak,” Anna said abruptly.

“Why can’t we just go back to Muraycia?” asked Genie with an outraged look on her face.

“Vaulda, remember,” Mimi whispered nudging Genie slightly. Genie looked highly offended.

“Fine,” she snapped bitterly.

“That’s the spirit” teased Mimi in a jolly voice.

“Look,” chimed Periwinkle haistly, seeing the look on Genie’s face.

“What?” Said Anna as she turned to where Periwinkle was pointing. There on the rolling hill side was a sign planted deep in the lumpy mud wedged between two rocks. The sign read, “Welcome to Mount Mammoth, California.”

“Oh yea like that helps! What in the name of Muraycia is Mount Mammoth?” screamed Anna who was now panting with rage.

“Stop it Anna,” pleaded Periwinkle.

“Hide!” squeaked Mimi suddenly pointing to the far side of the heap of rocks sitting beside them. Sure enough there was a young child not so different from Corriett at least she had sorcerers look to her so she easily could have passed for one. Corriett stood to ask the child who was pink cheeked from the cold with fluffy white blond hair where they were but no sooner than she had stood her five other hands yanked her to the ground taking no caution and sparing no strength.

“Are you crazy?” hissed Anna.

“I just thought I could ask her where we are.” whispered Corriett fiercely. Anna rolled eyes.

“Come on,” she ordered gruffly, as she led the way up to a cavern on the mountain side.